ACcenTS

Image Sequence Analysis for Emerging MPEG-4 Multimedia Services

European COST211ter Simulation Subgroup

Within the COST framework the European COST211ter Action is a follow up of COST211 and COST211bis and has been dealing with research subjects related to "Redundancy Reduction Techniques for Coding of Video Signals in Multimedia-Media Services". The work in the COST211 groups have been instrumental in the establishment of the ITU H.261 and H.263 video coding standards and has provided significant contributions to the ongoing ISO MPEG-4 video coding standard activities.

Most recently the COST211ter Simulation Group decided to focus its future work on the identification, definition and specification of tools and algorithms for image sequence analysis targeted for emerging Multimedia services in the context of MPEG-4 - to enable and assist MPEG-4 content-based functionalities.

The applications profiles envisioned include:

1. Real-Time Communications
2. Database Access

with applications specific functionalities (on-line or off-line, with or without user interaction) such as:

content definition (i.e. segmentation of physical objects in scenes)
feature extraction (i.e. specification of shape, motion, facial parameters)
tracking of content and/or features in image sequences
selective coding of objects (in the context of MPEG-4)
improved coding efficiency
selective error protection
content-based visual database query and indexing
other functionalities not excluded

The MPEG-4 Video Verification Model (VM) will provide the coding platform in this context.

The work in the COST211ter Group will progress in a collaborative manner. To this end a "Test Model" will be developed to investigate and optimize algorithms for Image Sequence Analysis. It is planned and hopefully will have happened by the time you read this, to establish a first version of an Analysis Model (AM) at the COST211ter meeting in Ankara, Turkey on the 14th and 15th October 1996. The AM will consist of a full description of tools and algorithms for image analysis purposes. These algorithms and tools will be refined and improved in further meetings in a collaborative effort by software implementation of the AM, by exchange of software, and by performing joint experiments based on the AM.

To develop the foreseen COST211ter Analysis Model to the best possible extent the COST211ter group is asking for participation and contributions from researchers within Europe.

For information please contact:

Dr. Thomas Sikora
Chairman of the COST211ter Simulation Group
Tel: +49-30-31002 622
Fax: +49-30-392 7200
Email: sikora@hhi.de
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